The Zips basketball teams sold hope to their supporters on Oct. 28 during the University of Akron’s 2025 Tipoff Reception at Rhodes Arena.
And why not? One team has championships it can tout. The other can point to better luck with health as a reason to believe it can rise.
The men are eyeing a Mid-American Conference Tournament title three-peat, and the women are optimistic an influx of depth can spark a turnaround.
Both teams are scheduled to begin the 2025-26 season on Nov. 3, with the men hosting James Madison at 7 p.m. and the women visiting South Alabama at 8 p.m.
Here are breakdowns of each team from men’s coach John Groce and women’s coach Ryan Gensler:
Akron Zips men’s basketball is embracing MAC championship expectations
Zips point guard Tavari Johnson told the Beacon Journal a three-peat is his goal.
“That would be history, something that never happened here before,” he said.
Then Johnson reiterated the point on stage during a question-and-answer session in front of Zip fans. The bar has been set at winning the MAC tourney and appearing in March Madness. UA accomplished the mission in each of the past two seasons and three of the past four.
“You have to embrace those expectations and not be consumed by them because at the end of the day, you have to do the things that put you in that type of position, and you do them consistently well,” Groce said. “There’s no secret to it. You’ve got to play well. You’ve got to have chemistry, cohesiveness. You’ve got to execute, got to be together, got to have some toughness, got to have some resolve.”
In the MAC preseason coaches’ poll, Akron was picked to win the conference and received 11 first-place votes. Miami finished second in the voting and received two first-place votes. Kent State was third.
Akron beat Miami 76-74 in the MAC Tournament championship game last season. Miami is coached by Groce’s brother, Travis Steele.
How will the Akron Zips men’s basketball team be different in 2025-26?
Last season, Akron finished 28-7, including 17-1 in the MAC and 16-0 at home. UA set a program record for most wins in a season and captured the MAC regular-season title in addition to the conference tourney crown. In the NCAA Tournament, 13th-seeded Akron fell 93-65 to fourth-seeded Arizona in a first-round East Region matchup in Seattle.
Akron averaged 84 points last season and surrendered 75.1. It’s why Groce plans to run the same fast-paced, 3-point-heavy offense — “all gas, no brakes,” he said — while tweaking the defense.
“Hopefully we can be a little stingier there,” Groce said. “We’ve been a little bit different in terms of how we’re made up. We’ve got more speed, a little more size at two, three and four. At times, we won’t be as big at five. But we are bigger at two, three and four. I think we’ve got pretty good length at those positions. We move pretty well. So does that give us an opportunity to generate some more turnovers?”
Who are the key newcomers, departures and returners for Akron Zips men’s basketball?
Two starters from last season’s Akron team transferred: guard Nate Johnson (14 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.7 steals) to Kansas State and center James Okonkwo (6.9 points, 7.2 rebounds) to Utah. And two Zips starting guards used all their eligibility: Isaiah Gray (9.6 points, 4.6 rebounds) and Seth Wilson (6.3 points).
Nate Johnson was Akron’s best player last season. He was the MAC Player of the Year, MAC Defensive Player of the Year and MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player.
Tavari Johnson (13 points, 3.8 assists) is the only returning starter on a team featuring six newcomers, but guards Shammah Scott (9.4 points, 3.5 rebounds) and Sharron Young (7.4 points) and forward Amani Lyles (7.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks) are back after playing roles last season.
Wing Evan Mahaffey (Ohio State, Penn State) transferred to UA, joining his younger brother, guard Eric Mahaffey, who sat out with the 2024-25 Zips after suffering a preseason injury.
The Mahaffeys are “great human beings” and “high-character dudes” who will have a major impact on the team, Groce said.
“Eric started in our first scrimmage [last year], and he earned that right. Then he got hurt and had to redshirt,” Groce said. “But he would’ve played last year at the rate he was developing quickly during the preseason. So, it’s great to have him back and healthy.
“Evan adds an element of length and athleticism and speed and intelligence and multifaceted offensive game where he’s becoming a better shooter. He drives it. He can really pass it. He knows how to play. Eric does, too.”
Other arrivals via the transfer portal are guard Cody Head (Arkansas State, Lipscomb) and forward Chabi Barre (Duquesne). UA’s freshmen are wing Ognjen Stankovic, a Serbian who played professionally overseas, and guards Josh Henderson (Westerville Central High School) and Tai Perkins (Westerville North High School).
Groce said he isn’t ready to divulge his starting five yet.
Tavari Johnson was named preseason All-MAC first team. He earned first-team All-MAC status last season.
Scott, the 2025 MAC Sixth Man of the Year, and Evan Mahaffey were named preseason All-MAC second team.
Akron Zips women’s basketball team seeks reversal of fortunes after injury-plagued season
Akron’s women were picked to finish eighth among the MAC’s 13 teams in the conference’s preseason poll.
Last season, the Zips were decimated by injuries and found themselves reduced to seven healthy players. They needed to summon a volleyball player for help. They finished 10-21, including 4-14 in the MAC.
“We started MAC play 3-1 last year before our starting point guard went down and our starting wing went down with season-ending injuries,” Gensler said. “So, there was the right momentum and the right building processes happening. We got hit with that injury bug and a couple other ones along the way.
“It forced us to figure out a style of play in which we had to play a couple bigs, had to play multiple guards and I loved that. We have modeled that into this season of having more versatility, being more positionless on both the offensive and defensive end.”
Who is new to Akron Zips women’s basketball?
Akron has seven newcomers. Among them are transfers Izzy Callaway, a Copley High School graduate who played last season at Walsh University, fellow guard Natalie Johnson (Robert Morris, St. Francis) and forward/guard Keiryn McGuff (Bowling Green).
McGuff is the daughter of Ohio State women’s basketball coach Kevin McGuff. Gensler said she plays every position except center.
“She’ll start the break,” Gensler added. “She’s an exceptional rebounder, exceptional shooter, exceptional around the basket, exceptional teammate and leader. She has not allowed her being new to diminish a leadership component.”
Ahead of his third season at the helm, Gensler said he’s “very bullish on depth,” even with three players working to return from injuries. He’s also thrilled with the progress of freshman guard Shaena Brew.
Who are Akron’s top returning women’s basketball players?
Returning Zips players include guards Teniesha Clarke (10.8 points, 3.1 assists), Maddie Vejsicky (8.8 points, 2.9 assists) and Kam’Ren Rhodes (8.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists), forward Ni’Rah Clark (6.1 points, 4.5 rebounds) and center Liisa Taponen (4.3 points, 4.4 rebounds).
Gensler said Clarke “will matriculate back in here soon.” She suffered a season-ending injury in 2024-25.
“Our returners have been fantastic and some that we haven’t necessarily seen on the court yet,” Gensler said. “[Guard] Ella Wigal has emerged as a great leader for us. Maddie Vejsicky is known for her 3-point prowess, and she’s gotten stronger and more confident on the court. Ni’Rah Clark … no sophomore slump there. She has dedicated herself to being in the gym, to getting in extra [work], to getting stronger and will take a leap there this year.”
Although the Akron women will open their 2025-26 season on the same day as the men, the women won’t play at home until 6 p.m. Nov. 20, when Binghamton is scheduled to visit Rhodes Arena. The Zips will have four road games out of the gate.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Zips basketball coaches break down teams, visions and expectations for 2025-26
Reporting by Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
